Category Archives: Science

WEBCAMS AND BIRD NESTS.

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Philip

WEBCAMS AND BIRD NESTS. Dick Weisfelder kindly sent me links to three sites which are following baby birds in nests: Herons: link Red Tail Hawks: link Bluebirds: link I am posting this immediately because birds grow rapidly.

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SOME THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT BIRD NESTS.

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Philip

SOME THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT BIRD NESTS. I haven’t seen a lot of bird nests—a few under eaves. Sometimes small birds can be seen visiting nests under the roof at the Darien train station. Jack Sanders had an article about … Continue reading →

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NIGHT HERON NESTS.

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Philip

NIGHT HERON NESTS. On our walks down to Long Island Sound, we look for birds—seagulls, of course, sometimes an egret or a swan, occasionally a cormorant. Now the night herons are back. They are big birds, about waist high. They … Continue reading →

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A CHART OF ATROCITIES.

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Philip

A CHART OF ATROCITIES. In connection with my posts on Steven Pinker’s theory that human violence has declined over time, Dick Weisfelder sent me a hard copy of a graphical display of the 100 greatest atrocities in history. This link … Continue reading →

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5% TO 20%—THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT “OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES”.

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Philip

5% TO 20%—THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT “OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES”. I am encouraged by the estimates of the percentage of findings from statistical studies that can be replicated. The estimates of 5% to 20% for multiple regression studies are higher than I … Continue reading →

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5% TO 20%—THE BAD NEWS ABOUT “OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES”.

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Philip

5% TO 20%—THE BAD NEWS ABOUT “OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES”. Gautam Naik had an article in the Wall Street Journal (May 3) headlined “Analytical Trend Troubles Scientists”. The troubling trend is that “observational studies often use different methodologies and arrive at different … Continue reading →

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AMERICANS AS AN INVASIVE SPECIES (COMMENT).

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Philip

AMERICANS AS AN INVASIVE SPECIES (COMMENT). Lee Bryant posted a wonderfully apt comment on my post about Matt Ridley’s argument that gray squirrels, which have been displacing the native red squirrels in Britain, are better suited to the English environment … Continue reading →

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MAKING A GEARBOX WITH A 3D PRINTER.

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Philip

MAKING A GEARBOX WITH A 3D PRINTER. The Economist (April 21) has an article on the revolutionary possibilities of 3D printing. To give an idea of the importance of 3D printing, it seems that it will considered for use in … Continue reading →

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EJECTING TONS OF ROCK INTO SPACE.

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Philip

EJECTING TONS OF ROCKS INTO SPACE. Instapundit posted on this article in MIT’s Technology Review blog which describes a new study on the impact of the asteroid weighing over one trillion tons which struck the earth some 65 million years … Continue reading →

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A DEFENSE OF INVASIVE SPECIES.

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Philip

A DEFENSE OF INVASIVE SPECIES. I have conflicting feelings about invasive species. Matt Ridley argues that they are sometimes good things: “Some ecosystems are enriched and made more productive by invasive species.” He supports this with examples of invasive species … Continue reading →

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